'The institute's listed in a roster of private agencies. I figured it for some kind of corporate front.'
'What kind of grant was it?'
'Pesticides in the soil, Ashmore analyzing his old data. Way too much money for that kind of thing, Milo. I thought I'd call the institute tomorrow morning, see what else I can learn. I'm also going to try to contact Mrs. Ashmore again. Find out if Huenengarth the Mystery Man's dropped by.'
'Like I said, Alex, keep your distance.'
'Don't worry, I won't get any closer than the phone. Afternoon I'll be doing what I went to school for over at Chip and Cindy's. Who may not be in a state of domestic' I reviewed my suspicions, including the caveats Robin had raised. 'What do you think?'
'I think, who the hell knows? Maybe she did have a leaky faucet, or maybe she's the Hester Prynne of the San Fernando Valley.
Tell you one thing, if she is stepping out on the Chipper, she's being pretty sloppy about it, wouldn't you say? Letting you hear Lover Boy's voice.'
'Maybe she didn't mean to-I caught her off guard. She sounded antsy-covered the phone almost immediately. All I actually made out were a few low tones. And if she's a Munchausen type, flirting with another kind of danger would be right up her alley.'
'Low tones, huh? Sure it wasn't the TV?'
'No, this was a real-life conversation. Cindy talked and the guy answered. I assumed it was Chip. If he hadn't called me later, I'd never have known it wasn't.'
'Hmm,' he said. 'So what does it mean? In terms of Cassie?'
I repeated my motive theory.
He said, 'Don't forget Chip's dough-that's one hell of an incentive.'
'One hell of a family embarrassment, too, if it blows wide open and there's a nasty divorce. Maybe that's' what Chuck's trying to keep me away from. He talked about Chip and Cindy creating something solid-called Cindy a lovely girl. Even though she doesn't seem like the girl a guy in his position would have wanted for his only daughter- in-law. On the other hand, from the look of his teeth, he came up the hard way himself. So maybe he's not a snob.'
'His teeth?'
'They're crooked and discolored. No one ever shelled out on orthodontia on his account. Fact is, his entire manner's pretty rough.'
'Self-made man,' he said. 'Maybe he respects Cindy for doing the same thing.
'Who knows? Anything on why she left the army?'
'Not yet. Gotta press Charlie on that... Okay, I'll check with you tomorrow.'
'If you find out anything from the bartender, call me first thing.'
There was a strain in my voice. My shoulders had bunched again.
Robin touched them and said, 'What is it?'
I covered the phone and turned to her. 'He's found a lead to something that may or may not be related to the case.'
And he called to invite you along.'
'Yes, but- ' And you want to go.'
'No, I-' 'Is it anything dangerous?'
'No, just interviewing a witness.'
She gave me a gentle shove. 'Go.'
